Simpsonville in Greenville County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Old Stage Road / Railroads in Simpsonville

By Brian Scott, December 15, 2011

1. Old State Road Marker

Inscription.

Old Stage Road

The town of Simpsonville grew up around a stagecoach stop nearby operated by Thomas Goldsmith (1788-1868). Goldsmith's house, on the Old Stage Road from Laurens to Greenville, was near a crossroads where the Old Stage Road met an old Cherokee trail, later known as Georgia Road. The road was the main route through this area ca. 1820-ca. 1870. The railroad arrived in 1885-86 when the Greenville & Laurens Railroad completed its line through the town.

Railroads in Simpsonville

Main Street was laid out parallel to the tracks, and the railroad ushered in a period of rapid growth and prosperity. The G&L RR and its successor the Port Royal & Western Carolina Railway were absorbed by the Charleston & Western Carolina Railway in 1896. The Atlantic Coast Line RR took control of the C&WC in 1897 and operated it until 1959. The first passenger and freight depot here was demolished in the 1970s.

Laurens Railroad was a railroad that served the South Carolina Upstate region in the late 19th century. (Submitted on December 15, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

4. Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway. The Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway was a Southestern railroad company formed in 1886 by the merger of the Augusta and Knoxville Railroad, the Greenwood, Laurens and Spartanburg Railroad, the Savannah Valley Railroad and the Greenville and Laurens Railroad, which then joined with Port Royal and Augusta Railway. (Submitted on December 15, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

5. Charleston and Western Carolina Railway. The Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (C&WC) was formed in 1896 to operate the lines of the former Port Royal and Augusta Railway (PR&A) and the Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway (PR&WC). (Submitted on December 15, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

6. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (reporting mark ACL) was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. (Submitted on December 15, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on December 15, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 630 times since then and 19 times this year. Last updated on December 16, 2011, by Anna Inbody of Columbia, South Carolina. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 15, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.